VERO BEACH — Casereccio Cakes in Vero Beach will be challenging other winners of Cupcake Wars in the five-part Cupcake Champions series on Food Network. The first episode will air May 13 at 8 p.m.
Owner Paul Conti is the only baker from Florida selected to represent in the competition, which will net the winner the Cupcake Champion title and a $50,000 cash prize.
“The flavors, creativity, and artistry that our Champions unleashed in this high stakes competition took cupcakes to a dazzling new level,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Food Network.
As with Cupcake Wars, Conti will square off with three other bakers to present the best looking and best tasting cupcakes to judges Candace Nelson, owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Florian Bellanger, chef and co-owner of MadMac.
Each round of competition sends one baker home empty-handed. The last baker standing at the end of each episode will take on the other winners in the series finale, which will air June 10 at 8 p.m.
In the series premiere, bakers use their “Spidey” senses to channel the famous superhero and be the star attraction at a VIP party for the hit Broadway show, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark.
The second episode brings the characters of DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted to life, with a special twist for the final two teams having their own Hollywood special effects designer to give their display some movie magic.
The bakers aim to hit a high note in episode three with their school lunch-inspired cupcakes to serve at a wrap party for the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning show, Glee!
And episode four showcases the all-stars’ cupcakes for a party at Pixar Animation Studios, where bakers use Scottish-based ingredients inspired by the new Disney-Pixar movie BRAVE and create a royal castle filled with cupcakes.
The star-studded finale will pit the winners of the previous episodes against each other to create a cupcake work of art inspired by the brightest Food Network stars. Guest judges (and Food Network Star regulars) Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson look for the “it” factor and the winner’s cupcake concoction is presented to Food Network Star mentors, Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay at the Food Network Cupakes! app for iPad launch party.
Each 1-hour episode will air Sundays at 8 p.m. on Food Network starting May 13.
Casereccio Cakes is located at 4682 US 1, Vero Beach, and can be reached by calling (772)-205-2197 or visiting www.caserecciocakes.com.
Paul Conti and his wife, Cassandra, took home the $10,000 prize for winning Cupcake Wars, which aired in February. They battled through a few kitchen disasters, including too-warm cupcakes that melted the frosting and a mistaken grab of salted butter instead of unsalted.
Cupcake Wars fans and friends of the Conties watched the episode with baited breath – and cheered when Casereccio Cakes emerged victorious.
It’s that victory the Conties hope to repeat on May 13.
